"Oh.. I.. yes, go ahead." Said the keeper with a dumbfounded expression.
It is vital to understand how important a mental barrier was for a mental warrior. Not only was it a barrier needed to safekeep one's consciousness from other people's mental powers, but also a curtain that could prevent others from learning the secret methods of another faction.
That was the reason why these barriers would be usually produced in large amounts by the stronger members of each faction, or at times, the leader themselves.
In order to break through these kinds of mental barrier, there were only two viable methods. The first one, was through the use of sheer power, which required a more powerful mind power than the one possessed by the cultivator whom had created the barrier. The second method, was through the use of complexity.
Mental power's complexity was not something that could be trained, but obtained during one's ascension. Reason why of the two methods, that was the least viable option. Generally speaking, only those who had the power to form a new mental faction, possessed the complexity to achieve something like what Aeron had just casually done.
When the keeper heard Aeron's voice in his mind, he suddenly stopped seeing in him an odd type of mental warrior, and instead saw someone who possessed a potential beyond that of his very own faction leader. Someone whom he could not afford to offend no matter what.
After being allowed into the planet, it did not take long for Daniel and the others to find a portal that would lead to the territory of the Proponents of Deep Sleep, and soon enough, they found themselves in Curio's main city, where the long distance low level teleportation platforms had been installed.
However, as they tried to head in, they found their first obstacle. Payment.
Contrary to Aeron's former faction, the Psionic Dimension, whose cultivation method required one to temper one's mental power through empathy, as well as killing their emotions, the other mental factions could not simply use normal mana to strengthen their power.
Instead, they would use objects that, similarly to essence gems for immortal cultivators, were formed by the solidified mental power of stronger cultivators. These objects were called mental stones, and upon assumption, they would release the mental cultivation on the ones who formed it in the form of a low pressure which could be used to temper their own mental power.
To put it simply, each mental stone was akin to a tutored training session.
The requirements to use the teleportation platform was to pay five high mental stones. Each of which contained the full extent of the power of a newly ascended high mental warrior.
After being asked for the five mental stones, the first instinct of Aeron and Edmund was to turn and look at Daniel, who looked back at them with confusion, and asked, "What?"
"He isn't a mental warrior, and if a mental stone made by me appears in one of the mental factions, we'll be swarmed by members of the Psionic Dimension, and each of their allied factions." Responded Aeron with a matter-of-fact tone. He then added, "Also, it would take me a month to finish five stones, while it will only take a day for you."
"I don't know how to make them. I've never learned how to turn my mental power into something physical. Didn't it take you a hundred years to learn how to make your avatar?" Responded Daniel right after. He was not a mental warrior, and what Aeron was asking him to do, was something that only elite members would learn.
However, the problem that Daniel had pointed out did not seem to bother Aeron, who placed his hand over his shoulder, and said, "That is easily fixed."
The moment Aeron's hand touched his shoulder, Daniel blacked out. When he came to, he was standing in a familiar, yet unfamiliar black room. Next to him was Aeron, who was scrolling through Daniel's memories and experiences like a picture book.
"Not this one.. You might need this. Not this one either.." muttered Aeron while waving his had from right to left.
"What are you doing in my unconscious?" Asked Daniel, already aware of where they were.
Aeron kept muttering and scrolling, until finally, he stopped the moment he saw the figure of a younger Daniel, who trained in the training room of his black castle right after obtaining it. In his hands were two chakram, which Daniel had learned how to use in his spare time.
"I have never seen you use chakram.. This will do." said Aeron before grabbing that memory, and removing it from Daniel's unconscious. He then pinched a memory out of his own mind, and placed it in its stead.
After he finished manipulating the implanted memory, Aeron left Daniel's unconscious took him with.
When Daniel woke up, he immediately tried to recall the day he had practiced the chakram, but while he could remember what he had done that day, the moment of his practice was nonexistent.. Not unlike a forgotten dream.
Shocked by the fact that he could not remember his practice, he summoned what he recalled to be a pair of chakram, and found himself looking at them as if he had never touched that weapon in his life.
Experience, muscle memory, constant practice.. Everything had disappeared from his memory, and in its stead, a new memory had appeared. A memory which depicted the learning of mental power, and the way to use it, or turn it into something physical that could be used to defend, and attack.
"Why did you do that?" Asked Daniel with anger.
"I can't implant a new memory in your head. I can only shape it enough to chan-"
"I AM ASKING WHY!" Shouted Daniel angrily, causing Aeron to realize what he had done wrong.
No matter the need, Daniel's mind was his own. It wasn't the playground of any mental warrior with the ability to play with it. No matter if this person was his friend, or if what he did was done for a good reason.
Aeron had gone ahead and took it upon himself to change Daniel's memories into ones that could be of use to him now. While useful, that was also a terribly invasive thing to do. Enough to enrage Daniel.
"I am sorry." said Aeron after lowering his head apologetically. Used to Daniel's practicality, as well as numbed by other people's sufferings, Aeron had failed to see how changing a memory would upset Daniel, and acted on the assumption that he would be okay with his actions.
Naturally, Daniel would have gladly accepted if only Aeron had asked. To bother him, was the quickness with which Aeron had simply manipulated the memory of one of his friends without even asking.
After sulking for a few minutes, Daniel focused on the newly acquired memories, and soon realized that he knew how to manipulate his mind power. However, he could not manipulate simple mind power, the same way he could not manipulate spiritual essence, or ki, as all three of these essences were merged together.
However, while he could not separate his three powers, after learning how to turn mental power into a physical essence, he had discovered that he could modify his true essence into becoming similar to mind power.
Without spending too much time thinking about it, he focused his power into his hand, then expelled it into a nearly invisible white mist which quickly condensed into a translucent bead.
The whole process took about an hour, and the amount of power contained in the bead, was only at the level of power which he could remember Aeron emanate right after ascending. However, from what the three could see, the color and feeling of the bead was quite different from a normal one, which would usually be light green in color.
"Is this a mental stone?" Asked Daniel with doubt.
"It sure feels like one. But it might not be up to their standards, since your essence is not pure mental power." Responded Aeron before looking at his surroundings. He then stopped in one direction, and added, "There is a merchant that way. Let's try it."
Left with no other choice, Edmund, Daniel and Aeron walked towards an old man sitting in front of a table, right at the side of the road. In front of him, was a table filled with objects which Daniel and the others immediately recognized as protective talismans of strength that spanned from newly ascended high mental warrior, to levels which Daniel had only felt when in the presence of the mental factions representatives, during the One Above All.
"Is there something that costs one mental stone?" Asked Daniel while browsing through the man's wares.
A single mental stone was not much. After all, any mental warrior with the knowledge to produce one, would be able to do so in a few days. Their value was also not at the same level as essence gems, as their number was only limited by a cultivator's ability to recover and produce more of them, while essence gems required many years to form.
So, when Daniel approached with such an odd looking mental stone, the old mental warrior looked at him with irritation, and said, "I have nothing that costs less than five stones. Move along." If not for the odd feeling that the three of them exuded, he would have told them off for wasting his time.
Slightly disappointed, Daniel straightened his back, and after turning to look at his surroundings, started to scout through the crowd. "Wrong approach." he said before noticing a young girl sitting on the grass, just a few meters in the distance.
From the feeling that was emanated by her body, she was clearly on the path of ascension, but from the look of her wary clothes, it was clear that she did not belong to a prestigious or rich family.
"Hey you." Said Daniel before approaching her.
The girl was stricken by the sudden appearance of Daniel, who looked at her with a valiant and confident expression. "Yes?.." she asked timidly.
"I've made a mental stone, but it is a little different from the others. If you try it, I'll give it to you for free." Said Daniel before handing over the translucent white stone.
Not at all tempted, the girl stood up, and said, "I am nobody's test subject." From her behaviour, it was clear that she had survived solely thanks to her ability to avoid dangerous situations, and if what Daniel had just offered did not sound like one, then none other would.
As she finished speaking, the girl turned around in an attempt to walk away, but before she could leave, she was stopped by Aeron, who said, "Use it to temper your avatar. If it gets destroyed, you can leave with a headache and form a new one in a couple of weeks. On the other hand, if it gets strengthened, you'll have more to absorb during your ascension."
"Alright." said the girl before summoning her avatar, which appeared as a tall and beautiful woman in her mid twenties. She then took the stone from Daniel's hand, and handed it over to it.
The avatar did not hesitate, and directly took the stone from the girl's hand, and placed it into her mouth before swallowing it.
Just like they were expecting, the stone immediately started to break down, causing the power of which the stone was made of to flush over the avatar's body. At the same time, a gentle vapor was emitted by the avatar's body, which made it seem as if its surface was scorching hot.
At this point, be it Daniel, Edmund, Aeron, the girl, the old mental warrior, or passersby, they all thought that the avatar was on the verge of exploding, but contrary to their expectations, about ten minutes later, the brilliance of the avatar slowly started to fade, and go back to its original intensity.
Nevertheless, two changes had taken place to the avatar. The first one, was the fact that the avatar had turned from a green color, to being white. Secondly, its power had increased to a ridiculous degree, and if fully absorbed during a mental warrior's ascension, one would directly reach a higher level of cultivation.
The girl and the passersby observed this scene in shock, while the old man cursed himself for not just giving out one of his cheapest talismans just to have a look at that odd mental stone.
However, unbeknownst to them, was the fact that what they had just seen, would only be the second most shocking event they would witness to that day.
